Dos Bocas: 16 Feb 2009 to 17 Feb 2009

Dos Bocas (Two Mouths), one of Mexico’s three main oil ports on the Gulf, received its current name in 1908 after a massive explosion and fire in a new oil well blew open the ground in what was then San Diego de la Mar.

Today, Dos Bocas is just beginning to see a small influx of tourists, intent on visiting nearby Mayan and Olmec archaeological sites and enjoying secluded lagoons and beaches before word gets out to the masses. Villahermosa, capital of the Mexican state of Tabasco, is not far away. Among its attractions are Museo de la Venta, a striking combination of archaeology and nature, and the Carlos Pellicer Regional Anthropology Museum.